All of the oils above are safe to use at a dilution of 5%. This dilution is higher than typical skincare applications of essential oils — but it’s the recommended dilution in the case of acne.

And how should you use these oils to eradicate acne-causing bacteria? Here’s a simple antibacterial and anti-acne recipe, using tea tree oil:

1 ounce aloe vera gel

45 drops tea tree essential oil

Mix the tea tree oil with the aloe vera gel, and store this in a glass bottle. When you get an acne breakout, simply apply the blend to your skin where the acne is. You can continue to apply it every hour.

How do you apply these oils to your skin? Here’s a simple recipe using just Roman chamomile:

6 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

1 tablespoon aloe vera gel

Mix with oil with the aloe vera gel, apply to skin after you’ve applied the blend from the first section. Of course, you can also blend in any of the other anti-inflammatory essential oils at the same ration (6 drops essential oil to 1 tablespoon carrier) for added effect.

Skin regeneration after acne: Anti-oxidant essential oils

Once your skin erupts with acne, and then you eradicate the bacteria and cool off the inflammation, what’s next?

Well, that’s when the repair process starts.

The thing is, even when the actual flare-up passes, there’s frequently an unsightly blemish left behind for days or sometimes weeks.

In extreme cases, acne can even leave behind a scar.

Now, do you remember how I mentioned that essential oils are used in skincare products all the time?

Well, the most common reason essential oils get into skincare products is because they help skin recover more quickly.

Do you need to break it up into separate phases?

Like I said above, essential oils can help with acne in three separate ways: eliminating the acne-causing bacteria; reducing the body’s natural but overprotective inflammatory response; and encouraging skin healing after the acute acne phase passes.

I also gave you three separate recipes.

Now, you can definitely use the oils separately in three distinct steps, but you can also combine them.

The good news is that many essential oils serve multiple purposes. If you want to make a single blend that you can use over and over during all phases, use the following:

45 drops tea tree essential oil

27 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

18 drops lavender essential oil

1 ounce aloe vera gel

Simply pre-mix this, keep the blend in a glass bottle in your fridge, and whenever acne appears, apply the blend to your skin until the blemish disappears entirely.

Which other carriers are good?

In the recipes above, I recommended using aloe vera gel.

It’s important to note this isn’t plain aloe vera extract. Instead, it’s a commercial gel that’s had emulsifiers and thickeners added. Plain aloe vera extract is watery and won’t make a good carrier (essential oils don’t dilute in water-based substances).

However, what should you do if you don’t have aloe vera gel on hand when acne strikes?

You can certainly use other carriers, such as plant oils.

The thing to be careful about is that some carrier oils can clog pores (I know, not what you’re looking for).

The good news is, there are some kind people out there that have put together a list of oils that DO NOT clog pores as well as those that might.

Lists like this rank carrier substances according to something called the comedogenic rating, with a 0 rating meaning “no chance of clogging pores”, to 5 meaning “high risk”.

The thing is, some people can safely use comedogenic oils on their face without causing breakouts. For example, many people online will routinely recommend using coconut oil on the face, even though it’s high on the comedogenic rating above.

But why take a risk with your own face?

If you tend to get acne and you don’t want to make the situation work, stick with oils on the list above that have a rating of 0 or 1.

What about preventing breakouts altogether?

So far, we’ve talked about dealing with an acne breakout that’s already happening.

And if you try the recipes above, you will see they can be a huge help in this case.

Still, wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply stop acne breakouts altogether?

Essential oils can actually help with this as well.

The first way, of course, is by using the same antibacterial essential oils to keep those harmful bacteria in check.

Simply use a few drops of both of these oils in your home diffuser. This can balance a drop in estrogen that can result in acne, and it can also help with other hormone-imbalance symptoms such as headaches.

Stress-caused acne

Not everybody experiences skin breakouts in times of stress.

But for those unlucky ones who do, the acne is sure to contribute to what was already a miserable situation.

Here’s how essential oils can help (yet again).

Many essential oils are great at helping you manage your mood — everything from getting you to relax, destress, or feel more energetic and positive.

So if you find that you are getting weighed down with burdens and worries, and you worry that this will lead to your next breakout, try the following recipe:

Simply put a few drops of each of these oils into your home diffuser, and diffuse at those times when you expect or notice increased stress. If you haven’t got a home diffuser, simply inhaling from the bottle of one of these oils should also offer you some immediate stress relief and help prevent a breakout.

Conclusion

Essential oils are a great treatment for acne on many levels.

They can help you get rid of the unsightly stuff faster, and help your skin recover more quickly and completely.

They can even help you eliminate some frequent causes of acne, and prevent breakouts altogether.

The good news is, a few common oils are all you need. Make sure you give them a try and see how they help your skin.

What has been your experience with acne and essential oils? If you have questions or you’d like to share your story, please let me know in the comments below.

About Mom Prepares

Mom Prepares is an essential oils and natural living blog. We bridge the gap between scientific research and the everyday essential oils user. If you're new to essential oils, you can download our free eBook: The Beginner's Guide to Essential Oils.